Cactuses and Heart-Shaped Balloons
by antmuzak
Summary: Valentine's Day 1997- Ophelia Pomfrey, the young healer's intern, isn't quite sure how to spend this romantic day when you're boyfriend is the ever-negative and mysterious Severus Snape. A pure fluff one-shot based off of my "Ophelia" Series, starting with "Black Holes and Revelations". Snape/OC- please review!


**_This (very) short one-shot that takes place during "Black Holes and Revelations" (the first story in the "Ophelia" series). It takes place on Valentine's Day of 1997, when Ophelia (my OC) and Snape were still a couple. This would take place about a month and a half into their relationship, so they were still very in love, and not having to deal with any trust problems yet. Please feel free to check out the "Ophelia" series through my profile, or just enjoy this piece on its own :)_**

 ** _*For context, Ophelia is a healer's intern employed at Hogwarts. She is 19 years old._**

 ** _Please enjoy!_**

Ophelia Pomfrey frowned, as she walked through a string of pink and red streamers, which hung across the doors to the Great Hall.

She batted the balloons away, as they cascaded down from the ceiling, like festive rain drops.

As she sat down at the Gryffindor table, she nodded at Hermione, who was sporting a fuzzy pink jumper.

"It really is Valentine's Day then, isn't it?" Ophelia commented mildly, helping herself to a piece of toast.

Hermione, looking down at her outfit, blushed a little.

"It's not like I'm celebrating it, I just thought I'd…," the curly-haired girl trailed off, looking down at Ron, who had Lavender attached to his side.

"You look nice," Ophelia added, feeling bad for her cynicism. She'd just never really seen the appeal of such a…well, _tacky_ day.

"We single girls have to stick together," Hermione feebly joked. Ginny was also occupied, sitting with Dean.

"Right…," Ophelia couldn't help but let her eyes wander to the head table, where Severus was grudgingly munching on something. He must have been lost in thought, for he did not meet her gaze.

Ophelia had planned on letting the day unfold as any other Friday would. She would finish her breakfast, spend the morning helping Severus out in his classes, spend the afternoon helping her mother in the infirmary, then spend her evening with her friends.

Although it seemed like her only available friends were Harry and Hermione, who were both in rather terrible moods.

Of course, Ophelia considered, maybe she _should_ spend the evening with Severus. She felt her stomach flutter with anxiety. It was Valentine's day, after all…

"I've got to go," Ophelia stood up, lurching her plate away from her, "I'll talk to you later."

She marched out of the great hall, and into Severus' classroom. He was still eating his breakfast, so Ophelia sat herself down at his desk.

She tried to relax, leaning back in his chair, but simply wobbled, and almost fell down. She silently cursed her clumsiness and drummed her fingers across his desk.

Her last relationship hadn't lasted long- ending just before February. What did couples _do_ on Valentine's Day? Was she obligated to put on a pretty dress, bat her doe eyes, and expect to be showered in gifts? That wasn't really Ophelia's style. Besides, the only formal wear that she owned was that stupid pine-tree dress of hers. She wasn't about to wear that to Severus' bedroom.

"You're early," Severus commented, as he slid into the room. He had some toast crumbs left on his collar, and Ophelia stood to affectionately brush them away.

"Mmm," Severus thanked her with a kiss, "how are you this morning?"

"Actually…I'm not quite sure."

"Oh?" Severus looked down at her, skeptically.

"Sorry, it's just, well you know…," Ophelia smiled sheepishly, burying her head in Severus' shoulder.

"No, I don't," Severus nudged away from her, forcing her to look up at him, "explain."

"It's Valentine's Day," Ophelia shrugged.

"So what?" Severus ran his hands along her arms, comforting her, "it's just any other day."

"I know, but I feel like…like we're supposed to be acting a certain way."

"We can act however we want," Severus' voice lowered to a whisper, "we're not like everyone else."

"No," Ophelia agreed, "we're not."

Just as they were pulling in for another kiss, they heard the chatter and footsteps of approaching first years.

Ophelia pulled away and ran across the room, nearly toppling over a desk in her attempt to get away from her Severus.

Severus casually slipped into his desk chair, adopting his usual look of disdain, as the children filtered in.

But later on, when she children were submerged in their homework, Ophelia and Severus met each other's eyes, and fought to conceal their smiles.

—

That evening, Ophelia looked at herself in her mirror, shaking her head with doubt. All her outfits seemed foolish on her.

Even though she and Severus had agreed not to bother with anything out of the ordinary, Ophelia felt herself wanting to show off for him. He usually saw her dressed in oversized sweaters and pyjama bottoms, or her usual dress pants and button-up shirts. Her golden blonde hair was typically in a messy bun atop her head, and her face, spattered with freckles, hardly ever had makeup on.

"What are you getting all dressed up for?" Her mother walked into Ophelia's quarters, laying down some folded towels, "a big date?"

"Something like that," Ophelia muttered, turning around to get a better look at her ensemble.

"Hmm," her mother tutted, "well you can borrow something of mine, if you'd like."

Ophelia considered this, and nibbled on her bottom lip. Her mother's sense of style- when she wasn't in uniform- was a bit too stuffy, even for Ophelia's taste.

"I've got something, trust me," her mother reassured her, and scurried off, leaving Ophelia to look at herself in the mirror some more, and sigh. She was weary with all these decisions. Maybe she was better off to give it all up. Severus loved her, and didn't care whether she wore a frilly dress or not.

Her mother returned with a small box in her hands.

"I can't wear that," Ophelia teased. She rummaged through her clothes and picked out a high-collared black shirt, and a short red velvet skirt.

"Yes, you can," her mother opened the box, and Ophelia stopped what she was doing, dropping her shirt onto the floor.

Inside the box was a string of pearls, slick and white.

"I-I've never seen these before," Ophelia nearly choked over her own words.

"They were a gift from your father," Poppy Pomfrey's words were distant and sad, "I never wanted to look at them again after he left. But I did keep them, all these years…"

"They're lovely," Ophelia nodded, and carefully took them from the box.

—

Ophelia was careful to skirt around the corners, and dance across the hallways. She didn't want to be seen.

She creaked open the door to Severus' quarters, and swung herself inside. She thought that she might twirl like a ballerina, in her skirt, and land gracefully in front of Severus. Instead, predictably, she landed on the ground, her hair flying out of it's tight bun.

She looked up, bashfully, at Severus. He was wearing his dark turtleneck that Ophelia liked.

"You're a strange one, aren't you?" He practically purred.

Ophelia straightened herself out, standing up.

"Am not," she blushed.

"You look stunning…," Severus approached her, running a hand through her loose locks, "but why so dressed up?"

"Why not?" Ophelia shrugged.

"I don't have anything planned," Severus looked stoic; Ophelia couldn't read his expression.

"That's alright, I didn't expect anything fancy."

Ophelia settled herself in his armchair and glanced at his side table. His copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ was resting there. It warmed her to think that he kept it so close.

"I'm just going to get something," Severus excused himself, walking off into his kitchen.

Ophelia summoned a quill and some ink, and opened up the book. On the first page, in her neat handwriting, she wrote:

 _"Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart."_

 _"I have not the pleasure of understanding you."_

 _But… "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."_

They were quotes from the book, speaking in a secret message to the man she loved. She smiled with pride, thinking that she was rather clever for thinking of something so classic and romantic. She put the quill away and closed the book.

Severus reentered the room, one hand behind his back.

"Oh no," Ophelia gasped, "what have you got there? Don't tell me it's a present! I haven't gotten you anything!"

"Too bad," Severus smirked, "here you go."

He put a brown paper bag, in her lap. She lightly smacked him on the arm, giving him a furtive look.

She put her hands in the bag, and pulled out her gift. It was a small potted plant- a cactus with a single white flower growing from the side.

"It's so sweet!" She squeaked. She nearly dropped it as she rushed to give him a hug in gratitude.

" _Please_ do not drop that on my foot," Severus begged, and Ophelia began to laugh, in spite of it all.


End file.
